The Madison Square Garden performance on July
26, 1972 is one of those fine moments in Rolling Stones live
recorded history. Perhaps it's the fact that it was Jagger's 29th
birthday that made such a difference. The energy and delivery of
the performance is captured in an incredible "line"
soundboard stereo recording. The "wide" stereo
separation features Richards and keyboards on the left, Taylor on
the right, drums and vocal in the middle, and horns split between
the two channels. Interestingly enough it's the original vinyl
discs that provide the basis for sound benchmarks of the CD
recordings. The reason for this is that the tape source for the
incredible vinyl LP's first issued by Trade Mark of Quality
(TMoQ) out of greater Los Angeles county has never turned-up in
tape trading circles. With this in mind one can only look for the
finest sound reproduction on CD's made from the old LP's. The
finest CD copy of the original "Welcome To New York" LP
ends up on an unusual recording and not The Swingin' Pig as one
might expect. The original LP's were issued by the TMoQ label in
several variations with matrix numbers that identify original
mono issues from later "wide" stereo issues. The
running order of the songs also varies from the original RS-546
matrix number.

The earliest New York 1972 show releases in
Mono:

Mfr.: First generation TMoQ

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B

Vinyl: Orange

Label: Silver writing on dark green. "Sideways" pig logo.

Insert: Multicolor with basic color bright pink. The cover is classic William Stout (he still makes it to the record shows now & then) depicting the Stones as "Street Thugs".

Record Jacket: White

"Happy Birthday, Mick!!"

Frontside

Wrap Around Insert - Cut Open Along Line To Get To The LP!

Mfr.: First generation TMoQ

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B

Vinyl: Issued on Orange & Purple

Label: Silver writing on a dark green "Sideways" pig logo.

Insert: Says * Wizardo Rekords * and has a cartoon picture of a little girl carrying a cake with the caption "Happy Birthday, Mick!!".

Record Jacket: White

Song Order:

Side 1:- All Down The Line- /You Can't Always Get What You Want- /Midnight Rambler

Side 2:- Bye Bye Johnny- /Rip This Joint-/Love In Vain- /Sweet Virginia- /Jumpin' Jack Flash:Note that this is last song of the side and it fades early because it ends-up close to the record label. The song order is rearranged in later wide stereo versions, but the fade remains even though the song is in the middle of a side.

The European Variation - No Southern CA TMoQ LP!

Title: "Welcome To New York!"

Matrix Number: TMQ 71080 A/B

Mfr.: All indications from packaging would lead you to believe that this is TMoQ, but it isn't for one good reason: The writing of 1's and 7's on the matrix number is European style and bears no resemblance to the writing on TMoQ matrix numbers. Possibly early Swingin' Pig as this is the same type of work as the RSGL "Philly Special" LP's which also look to be early TSP stuff.

Vinyl: Gray, Blue, Black Marble

Label: Picture labels: Jagger circa '72 and "Street Thugs" scene

Record Jacket: Deluxe B&W laminated cover

Backside

Second Generation in "Wide" Breath-Taking Stereo

Title: "Welcome To New York"

Mfr.: First generation TMoQ

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B REI

Vinyl: Black and Red issues

Label: Black writing on white. "Sideways" pig logo

Record Jacket: Deluxe printed cover with the street thug artwork. Covers with titles written on the spine are particularly desirable.

Comment: REI matrix editions maintain the same running order as RS-546 except that the sound is wide stereo. This is a key trait to remember when tracing the roots of the CD's made from vinyl sources.

also found on:

Title: "Welcome To New York"

Mfr.: Box Top Records

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B REI

Vinyl: Clear

Label: Black writing on orange. "Sideways" pig TMoQ labels!

Record Jacket: Color photo of Jagger circa 1981. Back cover photo is Jagger circa 1968 with a Gibson Les Paul.

Comment: The song list is consistent with TMoQ 2815-C/D, but the sound lacks clarity.

Note: There are mis-pressed versions of this disc that feature Led Zeppelin on Side 2. Songs are: Whole Lotta Love intro./Medley: Let That Boy Boogie/Travlin' Mama/Fixin' to Die/Mess of Blues/Lemon Song and completion of Whole Lotta Love. This is from a BBC broadcast on June 24, 1969.

Record Jacket NS: Deluxe cover with black and white shots of Jagger circa '75 and '72.

Comments: WTNY songs are All Down The Line/(no band intro.)/Bye Bye Johnny/Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia

Title: "Jean-Clarke Mamorial Sonic Barbecue"

Mfr.: The Amazing Kornyphone Record Label

Matrix Number: TAKRL 1919-A/B

Vinyl: Black

Label: Typed Side 1 and Side 2 on yellow paper

Insert: The front side insert is the Nazi scene from Guy Peellaerts "Rock Dreams" and the other is a photo of Jeane-Clarke (?) "trying to get the knack".

Record Jacket: White

Comments: WTNY song is Sweet Virginia

"Midnight Ramblers"

Haaappyyy

Frontside

Backside

Phoenix Records

Matrix Number: Disc 1: 44785-A/B (Live'r than You'll Ever Be)

Disc 2: 44785-C/D (Welcome To New York)

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on yellow Phoenix label with track listings.

Record Jacket: Deluxe color Jagger/Richards 1972 sharing the mic. Back photo is Jagger '72 with a different shot of the glitter head band. This is the same photo as used on the CD "Vintage But Vigorous".

Comments: The song order is the same as 2815-C/D, but the disc is in mono

Compact Discs

The CD's of the "Welcome to New York" recording are made from LP sources. One of the first CD versions to surface was:

"Welcome to New York"

(TSPCD 038)

The Swingin' Pig

The cover of this CD is a black and white reproduction of the TMoQ "street thug" artwork. The back inlay reproduces the writing from the back cover of the deluxe edition TMoQ LP, but not the Jagger photos from 1972.

All right we're rock on

We're having a good time

We're gonna have a good time now

We really, really, really, are . . . Okay

all right

1. All
Down The Line (4:12): Keith in the left
channel. Taylor ripping Gibson humbuckin' tone in the right.
There is a sound drop-out at 1:31. You don't hear Jagger growling
the vocals like this anymore, it's a wonder the guy could get
through two shows a day at this pace.

Wooh

Thank ya, Aw yeah

** Tape splice at 4:20

All right

We're gonna do one now for everybody that

For everybody that doesn't have
nobody...anywhere

Yes ah, what's all that torches goin' on over
there?

Shoo

2. You
Can't Always Get What You Want (7:37):
Keith left channel. French horn right. Vocal in the middle.
Taylor comes in the right channel with arpeggios at 1:38 as the
tempo picks-up. Classic Taylor solo at 4:16. At 5:11 Taylor flips
the pick-up toggle switch and changes the tone and feel of the
solo.

** Tape splice at 7:50

Thank You

Thank You very much

Yeah

3.
Midnight Rambler (12:12): Long harp tease
before the song starts. Taylor is playing the right channel
counter-rhythms. At 2:23 the song shifts into high gear with
Taylor playing a repetitive riff in the right and Richards
playing lead lines in the left. Taylor slips in an ingenious
rhythm change-up in the song at 3:02. This is reminiscent of the
same type of change-up he plays in Bitch from Leeds March 13,
1971 when Keith is playing the solo. The vinyl pedigree of the
sound source is revealed at 4:56 with a single "pop".
Part I ends at 5:47. A snaking tapestry of solos from Mick Taylor
for the slower center section of the song. Richards plays Hendrix
like rhythm vibrato starting at 7:32. A "pop" can be
heard at 8:36. There is a "wow" flaw during this song
at 11:18 when it transitions to Part III that is clearly heard in
the original vinyl. This has been cleaned-up with a
"tight" splice.

** A tight tape splice at 12:15 marks the end
of the track and a change in record sides.

Whoo

Just like to tell you who's playing with us
tonight

On, On piano we got Nicky Hopkins

(Check out the guitar tuning that ping-pongs
from channel to channel)

On trumpet and trombone, Jim Price

On saxophone Bobby Keys, whoo

On ahh, who else we got? Oh yeah...

On guitar Mick Taylor

On drums Charlie Watts aahhll, Yahoo!

Bill Wyman on bass, ahhh yeah

Keith Richards on guitar...

4. Bye
Bye Johnny (3:49): The band rips into one
of the finest renditions of this Chuck Berry number that you'll
ever hear. Taylor plays silky smooth lines all over the intro. in
the right channel. Keith pours on the double stops for the solo
in the left channel at 2:06. Different horn pieces come across in
both channels.

Whoa

On bass...

All right

I say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah...yeah Charlie I
said yeah

Whoa

Ah they yeah

(Very subtle compliments to the "engine
room" at this point in the show)

5. Rip
This Joint (2:11): It's amazing that this
song could successfully be pulled-off in live performances. A
clear saxophone comes in at :56 in the left channel.

All right

Thank ya

We're gonna slow it down just a little bit

Yeah it's all right

6. Love
In Vain (5:54): A firecracker goes off at :02. Robert Johnson is brought to the electronic age in fine fashion by true fans who do him justice. Peter Greenbaum's replacement from the Bluesbreakers is in his element on this one. Listen for the fat guitar tone cleanly played. The second solo is played with fingers and not a slide as in the first. It is difficult to tell the difference at times!

All right, all right

Ooh, I had a lot of troubles with me trousers,
so I had to get 'em stitched-up.

(Can you believe that Jagger makes reference to
the same lines he said at MSG some three years earlier as
documented in both "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" and the
"Gimme Shelter" movie!)

You're not still moving people to, you all
right down there now, all right, okay

We're gonna do an acoustic one for ya, if you
can get into that

Yooou

7. Sweet
Virginia (4:13): There is a very subtle bass drum going on during Jagger's harp played opening. The harp pans from the left to right channel. There are "pops" in the right channel at :33 and :34. Another vinyl "pop" is heard in the left channel at 2:32. Bobby Keys plays his heart out during the sax solo.

Yahoo

Yahoo

Whahoo

All right let's get down come on...

8. Jumpin'
Jack Flash (fades at 3:11): A guitar laden
energized version of JJF complete with Taylor's patented switch
toggling effect at 1:13 and 2:42. There is a vinyl
"pop" at 2:06 in the right channel. The song fades-out
early just like the original LP that ran too close to the label.

This is the same song running order as the
classic TMoQ LP "Welcome
to New York" with matrix number:
RS-546. Except that it is in wide stereo, so this would make the
source RS-546 REI. This CD was made from a TMoQ disc with a
Deluxe Printed Cover!

Recording Comments:

There is a lot of "NoNoise" sound treatment on this recording. It adds a phasing sound (coloring) to the recording in places.

"Hell's Stones"

(CD LOB 033/1, LOB 033/2, LOB 033/3)

Lobster

A patchwork of small color photographs of 60's era Stones (including Taylor) graces the cover along with negatives of the same shots.

Disc 3 is: "Welcome To New York"

Comments: This disc was made from the same made-from-LP tape master as the "Swingin' Pig" version as evidenced by matching random vinyl pops and the tape "wow" correction in Midnight Rambler. The difference is that the "NoNoise" treatment seems to be missing. There is no phasing effect and the sound is clear unlike its "Swingin' Pig" counterpart. It's possible that the "Pig" acquired the tape from the "Lobster" and added the "NoNoise". This is the finest digital recording of the disc.

Comment: Historically interesting, but what a disappointment. This should have been mastered from a clean RS-546 REI Trade Mark LP. It would have been a worth while effort. The definitive CD version. Opportunity lost.You have the LP's!You have the technology!

"Welcome To New York" First Issued by VGP on 5CD "American Tour 1972"

(VGP-259)

VGP-259 First Issued as 4CD "Plug In-Flush Out" - No "Welcome To New York"

Comment: The track listing is in the correct running order of 1972 shows, unlike both REI and non-REI versions of the Trade Mark of Quality LP releases. The Swingin' Pig recording is made from an TMoQ REI LP source. The splice at part 3 of Midnight Rambler has also been cleaned-up in the best possible way. The opening tracks on this one have too much noise reduction for my taste. The silent passages are somewhat "colored". Overall noise reduction leaves it a bit compressed. Less high end (treble) than The Swingin' Pig CD but also less overall impact with respect to color added to the sound by the NONOISE sound reprocessing used by TSP. You can best assess the sound impact with the guitar tuning bits in between the songs. Listen for pitch and color. Maybe this is the best effort yet at bringing the classic analog recording into the CD age.

Comment: There you have it. The best two Stones recordings and performances ever and always all in one package. See this web site for the whole story on Nasty Music at:http://rollingstonesnet.com/Brussels.htm

Comment: See above comments from "Comeback To England" for CD 1. CD 2 a.k.a "Welcome To New York" is NOT made from old TSP recordings. It's a fine sounding remaster the way it should have been done since the dawning of the CD age. Change you can believe in!

Mick's 29th Birthday Party!

Summary

A great inspired performance captured in the
sterile confines of soundboard wire connected directly to the
instruments and closely mic.'d brass and vocals. It provides a
revealing look at the true musicianship of all the players in the
band who put on a flawless performance for the New York crowd. A
wonderful time capsule of the band, with this configuration of
musicians, arguably at it's peak.